Spanish
United Nations.- UN Secretary-General António Guterres recalled this Monday that the creation of a Palestinian state "is a right, not a reward" and warned that denying it to the Palestinian people "would be a gift to extremists".
Guterres made these statements in his introductory speech to the international conference for the two-state solution (Israel and Palestine), organized by France and Saudi Arabia, in which several countries are expected to take the step of recognizing the Palestinian state.
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So far, 151 of the 193 UN member states (77% of the total) recognize the State of Palestine, including almost all countries in Africa, Latin America, and a significant part of Europe. The Secretary-General wanted to address those who still oppose that solution - with the United States at the forefront - to whom he asked: "What is the alternative? A one-state scenario in which Palestinians are denied basic rights? Expelled from their homes and land? Forced to live forever under occupation, discrimination, and subjugation?" "How is that possible in the 21st century? Is it even acceptable?" she exclaimed. If a two-state solution is not reached, "there will be no peace in the Middle East, and radicalism will spread throughout the entire world," Guterres emphasized. Hours earlier, when asked about the real impact of these recognitions in practice, Guterres' spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, stated: "It is a powerful symbol of the determination of the majority of member states of where they would like the situation to evolve. And obviously it has a legal impact on bilateral relations between two states."
